A Plotted History of the Whitworth Rushcart

The History of the Whitworth Morris Men and Rushcart

The Whitworth Morris Dancers present the unique ‘Whitworth Dance’ and are seen as the bringers of luck to the Rushbearing Festival in the valley. Folklore shrouds the true origins of the Morris Dance in Whitworth; one theory is that Cornishmen brought the dances to Whitworth whilst working in the quarries. There is also mystery surrounding the sixteenth century French tune for the Morisques in Arbeau, rumoured to have influenced the themes of the Whitworth Morris Dance.

The Whitworth Morris Men were attached to the Parish Church (St Bartholomew’s); until recently, the last time they danced was in 1910 when a Rushcart procession was held to raise money for a new set of bells. Associated with the Morris Dancers were the Whitworth Nutters, and both teams performed in the 1910 ceremony. The dress of the Morris team was a cloth cap, with red, white and blue ribbons around the circumference, white shirts, a velvet waistcoat, trousers and clogs with bells attached.

The two wheeled rushcart was made in the week preceding the procession. The framework was built on a wagon, thatched with rushes and decorated with local heather off the hills. Placed at the front of the cart was a large pair of horns and a well polished copper kettle. In the centre of the rushcart was a space where a man with a blackened face was imprisoned during the procession. The cart was led by a horse, and a man walked in front with a large whip. On the evening before the procession, once the cart had been built, a celebration and bonfire was held on the moor close to where the rushes had been gathered.